Drone sighting briefly disrupts US Newark airport

lights were grounded for almost an hour at the Newark International Airport in the US state of New Jersey after two drones were spotted flying nearby. A pilot told air traffic control that one of the drones came within 30ft of his aircraft on Tuesday.

He was flying at the Teterboro Airport, a nearby private facility, but officials closed Newark International as a precaution, the BBC reported. The airport is the 11th busiest in the US, with 20 million boarding there each year. Flights between 4.50 p.m. and 5.40 p.m. had to be suspended, media reports said.

United Airlines, which uses Newark as a hub, said: “The impact to our operations has been minimal so far. We are working closely with the airport and the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) to return our operations to normal as quickly as possible.” Read More